Texas Secretary of State

Holiday Notice: The Office of the Texas Secretary of State will be closed Monday, January 21st in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The office will resume normal operating hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 22nd. Electronic filing and business document searches are available through SOSDirect 24/7.

Important 2018 Election Dates

March 6, 2018 - Primary Election
Note: This calendar reflects state law as it exists prior to the end of the 2017 special legislative session. This calendar will be subsequently updated, if necessary, to reflect any changes made by the state legislature.

First day to file for a place on the Primary ballot for precinct chair candidates.

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

First day to file for all other candidates for offices that are regularly scheduled to be on the Primary ballot.

First day to apply for a ballot by mail using Application for a Ballot by Mail (ABBM) or Federal Postcard Application (FPCA).

Monday, January 1, 2018*

*First day to file does not move because of New Year’s Day holiday. An “Annual ABBM” or FPCA for a January or February 2018 election may be filed earlier, but not earlier than the 60th day before the date of the January or February election.

Last Day to Register to Vote

Monday, February 5, 2018*

*Actual deadline falls on Sunday but moves to the next business day.

First Day of Early Voting

Tuesday, February 20, 2018*

*First business day after Presidents' Day

Last Day to Apply for Ballot by Mail
(Received, not Postmarked)

Friday, February 23, 2018

Last Day of Early Voting

Friday, March 2, 2018

Last day to Receive Ballot by Mail

Tuesday, March 6, 2018 (Election Day) at 7:00 p.m. if carrier envelope is not postmarked, OR Wednesday, March 7, 2018 (next business day after Election Day) at 5:00 p.m. if carrier envelope is postmarked by 7:00 p.m. at the location of the election on Election Day (unless overseas or military voter deadlines apply)⁴

May 5, 2018 - Uniform Election Date

Authority Conducting Elections

Local Political Subdivisions

(County-ordered elections may not be held on this date. County Election Official may, but is not required to, contract to provide election services to political subdivisions.)

Monday, December 18, 2017 for local political subdivisions that have a first day to file for their candidates¹

First Day to Apply for Ballot by Mail

Monday, January 1, 2018*

*First day to file does not move because of New Year’s Day holiday. An “Annual ABBM” or FPCA for a January or February 2018 election may be filed earlier, but not earlier than the 60th day before the date of the January or February election.

First Day to File for a Place on the General Election Ballot (Local Political Subdivisions Only)¹

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Last Day to Order General Election or Special Election on a Measure

Friday, February 16, 2018

Last Day to File for a Place on the General Election Ballot (Local Political Subdivisions Only)²

Friday, February 16, 2018 at 5:00 p.m.

See note below relating to four-year terms³

Last Day to File a Declaration of Write-in Candidacy (Local Political Subdivisions Only)

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Last Day to Register to Vote

Thursday, April 5, 2018

First Day of Early Voting by Personal Appearance

Monday, April 23, 2018

Last Day to Apply for Ballot by Mail
(Received, not Postmarked)

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Last Day of Early Voting by Personal Appearance

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Last day to Receive Ballot by Mail

Saturday, May 5, 2018 (Election Day) at 7:00 p.m. if carrier envelope is not postmarked, OR Monday, May 7, 2018 (next business day after Election Day) at 5:00 p.m. if carrier envelope is postmarked by 7:00 p.m. at the location of the election on Election Day (unless overseas or military voter deadlines apply)⁴

May 22, 2018 – Primary Runoff Election

First day to apply for a ballot by mail using Application for a Ballot by Mail (ABBM) or Federal Postcard Application (FPCA)

Monday, January 1, 2018*

*First day to file does not move because of New Year’s Day holiday. An “Annual ABBM” or FPCA for a January or February 2018 election may be filed earlier, but not earlier than the 60th day before the date of the January or February election.

Last Day to Register to Vote

Monday, April 23, 2018

First Day of Early Voting

Monday, May 14, 2018

Last Day to Apply by Mail (Received,not Postmarked)

Friday, May 11, 2018

Last Day of Early Voting

Friday, May 18, 2018

Last Day to Receive Ballot by Mail

Tuesday, May 22, 2018 (Election Day) at 7:00 p.m. if carrier envelope is not postmarked, OR Wednesday, May 23, 2018 (next business day after Election Day) at 5:00 p.m. if carrier envelope is postmarked by 7:00 p.m. at the location of the election on Election Day (unless overseas or military voter deadlines apply)⁴

Thursday, June 21, 2018 for local political subdivisions that have a first day to file for their candidates¹

First Day to Apply for Ballot by Mail

Monday, January 1, 2018*

*First day to file does not move because of New Year’s Day holiday. An “Annual ABBM” or FPCA for a January or February 2018 election may be filed earlier, but not earlier than the 60th day before the date of the January or February election.

First Day to File for a Place on the General Election Ballot (Local Political Subdivisions Only)¹

Saturday, July 21, 2018

Last Day to Order General Election or Special Election on a Measure

Monday, August 20, 2018

Last Day to File for a Place on the General Election Ballot (Local Political Subdivisions Only)²

Monday, August 20, 2018 at 5:00 p.m.

See note below relating to four-year terms³

Last Day to File a Declaration of Write-in Candidacy (Local Political Subdivisions Only)

Friday, August 24, 2018

Last Day to Register to Vote

Tuesday, October 9, 2018*

*First business day after Columbus Day

First Day of Early Voting by Personal Appearance

Monday, October 22, 2018

Last Day to Apply for Ballot by Mail

(Received,not Postmarked)

Friday, October 26, 2018

Last Day of Early Voting by Personal Appearance

Friday, November 2, 2018

Last day to Receive Ballot by Mail

Tuesday, November 6, 2018 (Election Day) at 7:00 p.m. if carrier envelope is not postmarked, OR Wednesday, November 7, 2018 (next business day after Election Day) at 5:00 p.m. if carrier envelope is postmarked by 7:00 p.m. at the location of the election on Election Day (unless overseas or military voter deadlines apply)⁴

1Under new law, most local entities now have a “first day” to file.

For the few entities who do not have a first day to file: For the May 5, 2018 election, Wednesday, January 17, 2018 is the deadline to post notice of candidate filing deadline for local political subdivisions that do not have a first day to file for their candidates. For the November 6, 2018 election, Monday, July 23, 2018 is the deadline to post notice of candidate filing deadline for local political subdivisions that do not have a first day to file for their candidates. (If the 30th day before last day on which candidate may file falls on a Saturday, deadline moves to next business day).

Local political subdivisions include: cities, school districts, water districts, hospital districts, and any other local government entity that conducts elections. Many of these elections are conducted on the May uniform election date. Note: Counties may also be holding local proposition (measure) elections on May 5, 2018.

2 Filing deadlines: generally, the filing deadline is the 78th day prior to Election Day. The Code may provide a different special election filing deadline. See Section 201.054 of the Texas Election Code (the “Code”). Write-in deadlines for general and special elections vary; the deadline for most local (city, school, other) general elections is now the same day as the filing deadline for application for a place on the ballot in a May election or November election; special election write-in rules vary, see long calendars for details.

3 If no candidate for a four-year term has filed an application for a place on the ballot for a city office, the filing deadline for that office is extended to 5 p.m. of the 57th day before the election. For the May 5, 2018 election, this is Friday, March 9, 2018. For the November 6, 2018 election, this is Monday, September 10, 2018. See Section 143.008 of the Code.

4 Please note that pursuant to House Bills 1151 and 929 (2017), different deadlines apply to the last day to receive ballots sent by the following: 1) non-military and military voters who mailed ballots from overseas and submitted a regular state Application for Ballot By Mail (“ABBM”), 2) non-military voters who mailed ballots from overseas and who submitted a Federal Postcard Application (“FPCA”), and (3) military voters who mailed ballots domestically or from overseas and who submitted an FPCA. See Secs. 86.007, 101.001 and 101.057 of the Code. Please contact the Elections Division of the Office of the Texas Secretary of State at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683) for additional information.